Australia's very own Bearded Dragon is the latest addition to the United States list of pets that can potentially give you salmonella. According to the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), around 132 people across 31 states have been infected by gram-negative bacteria from these particular lizards. The CDC surveyed 31 people who had been diagnosed with salmonella and found that 21 of them had been in contact with Bearded Dragons. Furthermore, researchers discovered the rare bacterial strain in the terrarium of a Bearded Dragon.

The National Assembly legal committee's decision to change the long held law of animals being considered as "part of the furniture" is a definite win for animal lovers in France. Instead of animals being considered as having the same rights as immobile object, they would be classified as akin to "sentient human being". Heavy campaigning by animal rights groups helped garner enough attention for the essential vote to take place. The request to change the law must now pass through the entire National Assembly and the Senate for deliberation.

Thinking of acquiring a cute fluffy little bunny for your kids this Easter? Or maybe for yourself? Aww... doesn't the one in the above picture look cuddly!! Before you scramble off and purchase one from the nearest pet store, we list the reasons you should think about before adopting a rabbit into your home!

Did you know?
This gorgeous bird was given its fancy name in honor of Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Princess Alexandra married the Prince of Wales, Edward VII and went on to become the Queen of England. Impressive!

Appearance

With its feathers boasting an array of beautiful colours, one cannot look past a Princess Parrot. The typical Princess Parrot is mostly green in colour with its shoulders fluro green. The throat is pink and crown can be either blueish (for males) or greyish (females). Their back is blue and tail is long and narrow. Other less common colour varieties (referred to as 'mutations') of the parrot can be lutino (bright yellow), blue and albino (combination of blue and lutino).

In order to tell the sex of your parrot, carefully look at their beak and eyes. The male has a bright red coral beak whereas the female's have a duller red beak. Males usually have an orange iris, in contrast the females iris are brown.

This type of parrot is medium in size. The males average 46.5 to 48cm in height whereas females are a tad smaller, 39.5cm to 41cm. The males usually weigh around 120 grams and the females average 110 grams.

PersonalityPrincess Parrot's dote on their owners and tend to become rather affectionate to one person in the household. They are highly social parrots and love to be around company. Although these parrot's can be quite territorial and don't take well to living with other birds in the home. They are not exactly boisterous birds but can be quite cheeky. When they chirp it is more of a pleasant chortle than a loud squawk you can experience from other parrots (i.e. Cockatoos).

If you tend to leave your Princess Parrot at home for significant lengths of time, ensure that their cage is spacious and roomy. Furthermore, supply them with a good assortment of toys to keep them playful and energetic.

It is possible to train this type of parrot to whistle and talk. You could get lucky and have a super smart bird that fetches balls for you!

Is a Princess Parrot right for you?

One must be dedicated to training a newly acquired Princess Parrot. At first they may be a bit stand offish, but consistent loving care is the key to gaining their trust. These particular birds do not usually get along with other breeds of birds and can be quite possessive, especially of their favourite family member. These birds are not recommended for people who own other pets like dogs and cats, unless these big pets are used to having fluffy flying creatures around the place! Another factor to take into account is the long life span of a Princess Parrot. It is noted that they can live up to 30 years (or more)! Be sure to think about who would take care of them if you were, *ahem* unable to be there for their entire lives. What we have heard from owners of Princess Parrot's is that be prepared for constant entertainment! We leave you with Elmo, a vivacious fun loving Princess Parrot having an intellectual conversation with his owner.

Diet
In the wild, these birds are Spinifex grazers. For your pet, it is recommended to feed them small seeds to munch on. Mix these seeds with fresh fruit and vegetables to ensure your bird gets the best vitamins and nutrients. Luckily Princess Parrots are not picky eaters and are open to trying new foods!

Life Expectancy

If cared for properly and provided with the right nutrition filled diet, Princess Parrot's can live up to 30 years. Usual life expectancy is 15 - 30 years.Health IssuesIt really all comes to how you house your Princess Parrot. If you keep your bird in an outdoors aviary where he/she has access to the ground then there is a high chance of him/her picking up worms.Although, for parrots that are left in a suspended aviary, with little or no access to the ground, the chances of your bird contracting worms is greatly reduced. If your bird is left untreated for a significant period of time and they have been infected with worms, the number of worms in their intestinal tract will increase. Eventually, the worms can end up clogging the intestines and fatally endangering the bird. Unfortunately birds don't show any symptoms of them having worms, and this has led to people reporting their parrot simply 'dropping dead'. Therefore, it is better to be safe than sorry... contact your local vet for advice on how to deworm your bird regularly!

A bill passed by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Labor government recently has outlawed battery cages and sow stalls which is a definite win for animal rights activists and animals everywhere. This piece of legislation reinforces the notion that factory farming practices are on the way out and higher standards of food production are becoming increasingly popular.

Would you risk your life to save a pet? What happens if you were saving a stranger's pet? And that pet was a big snake? According to Michigan news, a firefighter decided to step up to the challenging task of rescuing a 6-foot python from a ferocious house fire. The two occupants of the house managed to escape but unfortunately they were unable to reach their beloved pet python, Chocolate Chip, who was trapped in the living room.